Braiding-machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. W. & N. LOMBARD.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

No. 429,136. g Patented June 8, 1890.

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BRAIDING MAGHINE.

No. 429,136. Patented June 3,1890;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI IV. LOHBARD AND NATHANIEL LUMBABD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRAlDlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,136, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed December 21, 1887. Serial No. 258,603. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LEVI IV. LOMBARD and NATHANIEL LOMBARD, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braiding-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to braiding-machines, particularly that class employed to produce a round solid braid or one having a continuous solid core, as occurs in covering wire with insulating material, and in which a series of bobbins or spools carrying yarn or thread are caused to traverse about a central point, or that where the braid or cord is being formed,

The object of our invention is to produce a braiding-machine which will be capable of forming braid very much more rapidly than has hitherto been accomplished by the present class of machines, wherein the threadcarrying bobbins or spools have themselves been traversed, and where the wear and tear of the machine have been great and the speed slow, due to this method of intermittently moving and bringing to rest the spools carrying the thread. To illustrate the state of the art in this respect we would name the patent of Charles E. Barnes, October 5, 1880, No. 232,920.

To the end above stated our invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a general plan of a braiding-machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a diametrical vertical sectional elevation on line a; 00 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the carrier-plate with the race-plate carrier removed. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section on line y in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional elevation of the race-plate carrier. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the switchbar. Fig. 7is a rear view, and Fig. 8 a front view, both in elevation, of one of the raceplates. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all enlarged to more distinctly show details of construction, as well as Fig. 9, which is a transverse section of the race-plate. Fig. 10 is an elevation of the eccentric-rod 17 and the eccentric a, the shaft 14 being shown in cross-section. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view in section showing the relative arrangement of the carrier-plate, race-plate carrier, switch-bar, and race-plate, with the thread passing beneath the latter. Fig. 12 is a top view of the race-plate, showing the thread passing between the switchbar and race-plate. Fig. 13 is a modified form of the race-plate carrier. Fig. 14 represents a section transversely of the raceway, showing the switch-bar tilted and in the position indicated in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a detail view of the pivotal connection between the threadcarrier and its operating-rod,

In the above drawings, 2 represents a casting in which is inserted a hollow vertical post 3, containing a tubular shaft 4, having an enlarged portion 5, with a beveled gear 6 firmly affixed upon it. Above and inclosing said shaft is fitted a sleeve-shaft 7. The lower end of the latter is furnished with a second beveled gear 8, of the same size and with the same number of teeth as the one 6. At the upper extremity of the s1eeve-shaft7 is attached a hollow cone-shaped carrier-plate 9, the angle of inclination being forty-five degrees. Midway upon said sleeve-shaft and between the top of the carrier-plate and the gear 8 is loosely mounted a reciprocating flanged hub 10.

Suitably supported upon the journal-bearings 12 13 is a horizontal shaft 14, having a pinion 15, which intermeshes with the gears 6 8,while a pulley 16 on its outer extremity connects by belt or otherwise with some prime motor, whereby continuous rotation of said shaftis effected. In the rear of the pinion 15 is an eccentric a, which is also mounted on said shaft and operates an actuating-rod 17, the end of which is united with a pin 18, secured in the lower part of the flanged hub 10. Diametrically opposite is a second pin 19,which serves as a guide and plays in a vertical slot 20, formed in the post 21, secured upon the base 2.

Attached to the upper end of the tubular shaft 4 we have secured a second. hollow coneshaped raee-plate carrier, with the inner surface of the latter coinciding with the exterior surface of the carrier-plate. By the above arrangement of mechanism, as described, and presuming rotation of the shaft 14 is in the direction indicated, the tubular shaft 4, gear 6, and race-plate carrier move (see Fig. 1) in direction of arrow 1, while gear 8, sleeve-shaft 7 and carrier-plate 9 revolve in direction of arrow 2, both at the same rate of speed. Moreover, the flanged hub 10, by means of the eccentric-rod 17 and pins 18 19, reciprocates freely upon the sleeve-shaft 7.

Having now described the main operating parts, we will now proceed to fully, clearly, and completely show the various other instrumentalities, their relations one with the other, as well as their modus operandi, whereby a cylindrical cord or braid is manufactured.

The carrier-plate 9 is a hollow shell or plate frusto'conical in shape by cross-section and, as before premised, is securely fastened to the top of the sleeve-shaft 7 Exteriorly and arranged around the lower edge of said plate 9 are a series of stationary spindles G6, 67, 68, and 69, having thread-carrying spools 23 24 25 26 mounted on them, these spindles being arranged in pairs diametrically opposite each other-that is to say, with a quarter of a circle of interval between spool and spool following the circumference of the circle. Tension-rods 27 are arranged in close proximity to them, one to each on the same side of the spool. On the opposite sides of the spools from said tension-rods are similarly arranged, but at a somewhat greater distance, the fixed hollow tubes or thread-guides 28, formed with diametrical slots 29 extending longitudinally thereof. These tubes are inserted through the substance of the material composing the carrier-plate and are adapted to receive thread-carriers 30. The latter consist each of a rod having an eye 31 in its free end, which plays in the thread-guide, its other end extending inwardly beneath the earrierplate, and is united with a rocker-arm 32, pivoted to an car 34, cast upon the interior of the carrier-plate and located about in line with the top of the reciprocating hub 10. Said rockerarm is provided with a short nose or prong 35, engaging an annulargroove 36 in the top flange of the hub. Hence upon rotation of the shaft 14 and reciprocation of the hub 10 rocking of the arms 32 is effected to produce right-line traverses of the thread-carriers 30. The latter upon their extreme inward thrust convey the threads 37 38 89 40 into four slots 41 42 43 45, which are cut radially in an annular rib 51, formed upon the carrierplate. (See Fig. 2.)

All the above parts are fixed relatively to each other, but have common rotary motion imparted to them by the revolution of the earrier-plate 9, to which they are secured. Hence the threads 37 38 39 40 from the spools 23 24 25 26 will always reciprocate in and out of the slots 41 42 43 45, while the spools themselves revolve upon their axes as the threads pass off from them.

Sui-mounting the carrier-plate and resting thereon is placed the race-plate carrier 46, similar in form to said plate 9, and with its lower portion thickened. (See Fig. Upon the lower edge of this plate 46 are pivotally secured a series of switch-bars 47. The raceplates are shown at 48, and consist of curved plates with two oppositely-disposed L-shaped ribs 49 50, longitudinally arranged, and by means of which the race-plates are retained upon the raceway. The latter consists of an annular rib 51, cast exteriorly of the carrierplate and above the point of attachment of the thread-guides thereupon. In the upper face of this rib 51 is cut a continuous camgroove 52, while two other grooves cut therein engage the ribs 49 50 of the raee-plates. The race-plates are inserted by means of a removable plate 90 (see Fig. 14) cut from the annular rib 51. When the requisite number of race-plates have been mounted upon the rib, said plate 90 is restored to its proper position and secured by screws or otherwise. Thusit will be seen that the race-plates travel continuously upon the earrierplate, but are given rotation in an opposite direction bodily by means of the race-plate carrier through the interconnecting agency of the switch-bars 47. The latter are pivoted tangentially to the lower edge of the race-plate carrier, (see Fig. 1 and 5,) with laterallyprojecting roller-pins set in the forward ends, so called, with relation to their rotation, and which, moreover, engage in the cam-groove 52. The latter imparts rocking motion to said switch bars, and such movement is effected by the position and form of the cam-groove, which serves to depress the forward end of each switch-bar just prior to its arrival opposite a radial slot 41 42 43 45. Similarly and upon advance movement of the race-plates the rear end of said switch-bar is depressed and at the same point. Moreover said switch-bars are provided at each end with an ear orstud 54 56, respeetively at the rear and forward ends thereof, and these alternately cooperate and engage in two depressions 57 58, cut in the race-plates. The rocking motion of the switch-bars before alluded to, and caused by the roller-pins 53 in their passage about the cam-groove 52, compels the studs 54 56 to alternately engage, respectively, in these depressions. Thus when one is disengaged the other isin engagement with the race-plate. Therefore the race-plate carrier is always directly connected with each race-plate, and the latter are forced to rotate in unison simultaneously and continuously, but oppositely to that ofthe carrier-plate upon which they travel.

Fig. 11 shows the switch-barabouthorizontal, as in Fig. 5, with the thread beneath a race-plate. In Fig. 14 said switch-bar is in the position shown in Fig. 12, with its forward IIO end depressed, the stud 53 being then inthe portion 67 of the cam-groove.

Tension-rods 59 are applied to the spools 6O 61 62 63, which are mounted upon spindles 7 O 71 72 in parallelism with the angle of inclination of the periphery of the carrier-plate or at right angles to the spindles 66, 67, 68, and 69, affixed in the said plate. The object of this is to enable a large spool to be employed on the race-plates, an d at the same time cause a minimum travel outwardly of the thread-carriers, in order to pass over and clear the raceplates and spools, which necessarily must pass therebeneath in one step of the braiding process. Y

In Fig. 4 the shaft 4 is shown as tubular to permit the passage upwardly of a continuous wire (54, which, for instance, is to be covered with some insulating material. This wire is provided with a constant feed device to advance it upward as the braiding is'effect-ed, while the threads are better positioned, laid in place, and brought compactly to the central point by means of a removable conical cap 65,the central bore of which corresponds very closely to the size of the cord in process of being formed.

The operation of the various component parts, arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and embodying the gist of our invention, and their relations one with the other, are as follows, presuming the shaft 14 is in active operation, and assuming that the flanged hub 10 is in a raised position, with the thread-carriers 30 at their extreme innermost point, and with the threads from the spools 23 24 25 26 resting in the radial slots 41 42 43 45, and extending to a common central point the wire-64. Furthermore, the race-plates are advancing in the direction indicated by arrow 1 on the carrier-plate, which is traveling in the opposite direction, (see arrow 2,) and are just in the act of crossing said slots 41 42 43 45 in the annular rib 48, which now contain the series of outer threads. At this particular moment the roller-pins 53 in the switch-bars are in the part 67 (see Fig. 3) of the cam-groove, which causes depression of the forward end of said switch-bars and disengages that end from the race-plates,

thereby forming an aperture between the latter and the switch-bars. When the for ward ends of said switch-bars are depressed, the rear part is tilted up, and the race-plates are now driven by the studs 54 engaging the depressions or slots 57. As the two plates the carrier 9 and race-plate carrier 46-niove oppositely, the resultant effect is to induce the threads from the spools 23 24 25 26 to pass between the race-plates and the switch-bars as the latter rock, thus carrying said threads beneath the co-operating threads from the series of spools on the race-plates. As the rotation of the various parts proceeds, particularly the race-plates, one consequence of the advance movement of the latter is to cause the roller-pins 53 on the switch-bars to travel in the cam-groove 52 toward that portion marked 68, thereby gradually raising the forward end and simultaneously depressing the rear end of said switch-bars. At this time the forward stud 56 has engaged the cut 58, and the race-plates are still united with the race-plate carrier. Then the pins 53 have reached the point 68 of the cam-groove, the rear ends of the switch-bars are depressed and the race-plates have passed over the threads from the spools 011 the carrier-plate. Immediately upon the completion of this step the eccentric-rod 17 aotuates and depresses the flanged spool 10, which pulls downward the nose 35 of the rocker-arm 32. The latter. thrusts the thread-carriers 30 simultaneously outwardly to their extreme positions in the thread-guides 28, the threads moving freely in the longitudinal slots 29. As a consequence of this movement, the threads from thespools 23 24 25 26 upon the carrier-plate are so elevated as to permit the next succeeding raceplate with its thread-carrying spools to pass beneath said threadsthat is, instancing that the thread from spool 25 passed through the switch and beneath the spool 61 on the raceplate, the raising of the thread coming from said spool 25 will allow the spool 61 and its race-plate to pass freely therebeueath, and the continuous and successive in-and-out movement required in braiding" is thereby effected. Thus the reciprocations of the threads from the spools on the carrienplate are timed to pass into a slot in the annular rib and there remain at rest, while a race-plate and its switch-bar operate to allow its passage between them and beneath the thread-carrying spool on said race-plate. Moreover, said reciprocating threads are further timed to advance suddenly outwardly and there remain, while the next following race-plate and its thread-carrying spool pass beneath it. By this means an intertwining movement of the several threads in the series is effected and a continuous braided cord, solid, or one formed about a continuous cord or wire, is produced. A prominent feature, as before premised, in this machine is that the entire series of thread-carryin g spools have continuous rotary movement bodily, and the machine can be operated at high speed without any diiiiculty, since it is only necessary to properly time the passage of the spools on the race-plates past the slots 41 42 43 45 in the annular rib on the carrier-plate in unison with the right-line reciprocations of the thread-carriers, which control the threads from the spools fixed on the carrier-plate.

In lieu of employing. a race-plate carrier the periphery of which is an imperforate surface, a series of arms diverging from a central hub may be employed, in which event each of the series of switch-bars is pivotally secured to the'end of one of said arms. This construction is shown in Fig. 13, and is simply to render the weight of the machine less and reduce the cost.

What we claim is- 1. The combination, with a circular coneshaped carrier-plate adapted to receive spools and rotating continuously in one direction, of mechanism for causing such rotation, a frustoconical race-plate carrier, a series of raceplates thereon adapted to receive thread-carrying spools, mechanism for causing said carrier to rotate continuously but con eentrieally with said carrier-plate in an opposite direction, a series of thread-carriers secured to the carrier-plate, and which reciprocate in right lines transversely of the path of travel of the spools upon said carrier-plate, thereby to direct the threads of this set of spools overand under the opposite and co-operating set of spools upon the race-plates, and mechanism for causing such reciprocation, substantially as stated.

2. In combination with two series of continuously but oppositely rotating thread-carrying spools arranged about a common center, mechanism for rotating one of said series, a frusto-conical carrier-plate for the other of said series, provided with an annular rib having radial slots, mechanism for rotating said carrier-plate, the thread-carriers movable in right lines, and the flanged hub, means for moving said hub longitudinally, and oscillating arms whereby such motion is given to said carriers to move the thread in said slots, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a rotary coneshaped carrier-plate having an annular rib and adapted to carry concentric thread-bearing spools and mechanism for causing such rotation, the thread-carriers secured to said carrier-plate, their actuating sleeve-hub movable upon the shaft 7, said shaft, and means for moving said sleeve-hub thereon, of the frusto eonical race-plate carrier moving oppositely above said carrier-plate, means for causing such motion, the series of race-plates which engage said annular rib moving thereon, and the rocking switch-bars, whereby the race-plates are interconnected with and rotated by the race-plate carrier, substantially as and for purposes set forth.

4. A continuously-rotating carrier-plate adapted to receive a series of spools and provided with a series of radial slots and an interior cam-groove, in combination with mechanism for rotating said carrier-plate, a series of thread-guides secured to said plate, a series of thread-carriers which reciprocate the threads from said spools, oscillating arms which actuate said thread-carriers, a movable flan ged hub engaging and actuating said arms, means for moving said hub, a race-plate, an oppositely-rotating carrier for said plate, means for causing such rotation in said race-plate carrier, and tangential switclrbars attached to the latter carrier and rocked by said interior cam-groove, said race-plate being engaged and rotated by said switch-bars and adapted to receive thread-bearing spools, substantially as set forth. 1

5. In braiding-machincs, the combination, with a fixed post 3, tubular shaft 4 and its operatingmechanism, as described, the frustoconical carrier-plate 9, affixed to said shaft and adapted to receive a series of threadbearing spools, and a series of tubular thread guides aiiixed at right angles upon the cone periphery of the carrier-plate, of a flanged hub 10, the sleeve 7, on which it is loosely mounted, mechanism for moving said hub on said sleeve, the rocker-arms 32, engaging said hub, and the thread-carriers reciproeated thereby within the tubular thread-guides transversely of the rotation of the carrierplate, as and for purposes specified.

6. In braiding-machines, the combination, with a continuously-rotatin g conical carrierplate 9, having the cam-groove 52, annular rib 51, and a series of radial slots 41 42 43 45 cut therein, of mechanism for causing such rotation, the tubular thread-guides 28, slotted lengthwise and affixed at right angles to said carrier-plate and the sleeve-shaft 7 of the shaft 4, the eccentric a, carried by said shaft, the rod 17, actuated by said eccentric, and the flanged hub 10, operated thereby to slide upon the sleeve 7, the rocker-arms 32, which engage said hub, and the thread-carriers 30, reciprocating within the tubular threadguides and actuated by the rocker-arms, substantially as stated.

7. In a braiding-machine, the race-plate carrier 46, provided with a series of tangentiallyarranged switch-bars 47, with their pins 53, in combination with the carrier-plate 9, having an annular rib 51, radial slots 41 42 43 45, and cam-groove 52, the race-plate, and mechanism for rotating in opposite directions the said race-plate carrier 46 and the carrier-plate 9, these parts 46 and 9 being frusto-conicalin shape, concentrically arranged, and adapted to carry series of thread-bearing spools, and the said pins 53 being arranged to travel in cam-groove 52, to cause rocking and alternate depression of each end of said switch-bars at the commencement and completion of the passage of the latter past the said slots 41 42 43 45, substantially as specified.

S. The carrier-plate 9, having an exterior annular rib 51, slotted radially at 41 42 43 45, the continuous cam-groove 5'2, and race-plateretaiiiing grooves, in combination with the race-plate carrier 46, the race-plates 48, which travel upon the annular rib 51, the rocking tangentially-disposed switch-bars 47, uniting said race-plates with the raceplate carrier, and mechanism for rotating said carrier-plate and race-plate carrier 4b in opposite directions, these parts 9 and .46 being 'l'rustoconical in cross-section and adapted to carry series of thread-bearing spools,as and for purposes stated.

9. In a braiding-machine, a continuouslyrotary carrier-plate 0, having a rib 51, formed with radial slots, and the cam-groove 52, the spindles (50, 67, (58, and ()9 upon said plate, adapted to receive thread-bearing spools, and

mechanism which rotates said carrier-plates, the thread-carriers 30, the rocker-arms 32, reciprocating said thread-carriers, flanged hub 10, means for reciprocating said hub, a continuously-rotatin g race-plate carrier 46, means for rotating said race-plate carrier, a series of race-plates traveling upon the carrier-plate and rotated by the race-plate carrier, combined with a series of switch-bars 47, interconnecting said race-plates and switch-bar carrier, said race-plate having lugs 54 56, which engage the race-plates, and pins 53, which travel in the camgroove 52, to cause rocking of the switch-bars, substantially for purposes specified.

10. The combination, with a continuouslyrotary carrier-plate 9, furnished with spindles 66, 67, 68, and 69, set at right angles to its periphery and adapted to receive threadbearing spools thereon, and means for causing such rotation, of the continuously reversely-rotating race-plate carrier 46, means for rotating said race-plate carrier, the series of race-plates 48, actuated thereby vand furnished with a series of spindles 7O 71 72 7 3, arranged at right angles to the spindles upon the carrier-plate and adapted to receive spools revolving axially thereon, means intermediate said carrier and said race-plate to actuate the latter, and mechanism for reciprocating the threads from the spools on the said carrierplate, substantially as herein stated.

11. In braiding-machines, a carrier-plate 9, having an annular rib 51, formed with a camgroove and radial slots, and a series of raceplates 48, with cuts 58 59,traveling upon said rib, combined With a race-plate carrier 46 and theinterconnecting switch-bars 47, pivoted thereto and provided with lugs 54 56 and pins 53, said lugs alternately engaging said cuts and the pins with the cam-groove to permit certain of the threads. ingress beneath or egress from under the race-plates, for purposes specified.

12. In braiding-machines, a continuouslyrotating carrier-plate 9, having an annular rib 51 and a cam-groove 52, and the series of race-plates which travel thereon, combined with mechanism for causing such rotation, a race-plate carrier 46, mechanism whereby it actuates said race-plates reversely from the moving carrier-plate, and the tilting switchbars 47, pivoted upon the race-plate carrier and engaging the race-plates front and rear, and provided with pins 53, which work in camgroove 52, substantially for purposes herein set forth.

In testimon y whereof We aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI \V. LOMBARD. NATHANIEL LOMBARD. \Vitncsses:

H. E. LODGE, F. (loans. 

